Discussion Title: Deep sea oil and gas exploration in the Great Australian Bight should be banned

1. Deep sea oil and gas exploration in the Great Australian Bight should be banned
1.1. Pro: Oil and gas exploration could cause huge harms to important local wildlife.
1.1.1. Pro: [85%](https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/nov/24/drilling-in-the-great-australian-bight-is-not-worth-the-risk) of the wildlife in the Great Australian Bight is found no where else in the world.
1.1.2. Pro: Drilling could damage the habitat of many vulnerable species, including the [Southern Right Whale](https://www.timstorer.com.au/advocacy/drilling-in-the-great-australian-bight).
1.1.3. Pro: Many experts [agree](https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/the-big-question-is-it-possible-to-drill-for-oil-without-devastating-the-environment-410948.html) that it is impossible to drill for oil and gas without harming the environment.
1.1.4. Con: Oil companies are able to make sure their rigs do [minimal](https://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2010/07/20/is-there-greener-side-drilling-oil) environmental damage to the area.
1.1.4.1. Con: Many oil companies currently do not do this. It is unclear why they would do it in this case.
1.1.5. Pro: The problem with drilling for oil in a marine environment is that if a spill occurs, it is impossible to contain. Oil spills have disastrous consequences for surrounding coastal communities economically, environmentally, and socially.
1.1.5.1. Pro: The 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill in the USA had [devastating](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_impact_of_the_Deepwater_Horizon_oil_spill) consequences.
1.1.5.1.1. Pro: A worse case oil spill in the Great Australian Bight is estimated to be [twice](https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/nov/24/drilling-in-the-great-australian-bight-is-not-worth-the-risk) as large.
1.1.6. Con: The environment in the Great Australian Bight is not pristine as there are shipping lanes through the area as well as 13 existing exploration wells.[Geoscience Australia - Petroleum Wells](http://dbforms.ga.gov.au/www/npm.well.search) [Shipping Lanes](https://blogs.csiro.au/ecos/australian-shipping-grows-can-avoid-collisions-marine-animals/)
1.1.7. Pro: Large scale seismic testing through a National Marine Reserve will have effects on marine life which are not adequately understood. More research is required.
1.1.7.1. Pro: The seismic blasting that has recently been approved in the Australian Bight [can kill](https://news.miami.edu/stories/2019/01/does-seismic-blasting-harm-marine-life.html) scallops and tiny zooplankton as much as one kilometer away.
1.1.7.2. Pro: It was found that dolphins, sperm whales, pilot whales and killer whales, exhibited either[long-range or localized avoidance](https://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/animals/stories/what-does-seismic-blasting-do-marine-animals) for seismic surveys. This can push them outside their normal ranges and even cause them to avoid their preferred feeding areas.
1.2. Con: Oil and gas exploration would have large economic benefits for Australia.
1.2.1. Con: An oil spill would be devastating to the local economy, potentially costing [billions](https://www.thebalance.com/bp-gulf-oil-spill-facts-economic-impact-3306212).
1.2.1.1. Pro: [Oil spill modelling](https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/oct/09/bp-oil-spill-in-great-australian-bight-would-be-catastrophic-modelling-shows) commissioned by the Wilderness Society found that a failure in BP’s deep sea drilling would probably prove calamitous to the fishing and tourism industries.
1.2.2. Pro: Studies have shown that drilling could create [1360](https://www.edenmagnet.com.au/story/5568713/bight-oil-drilling-could-be-game-changer/) jobs in South Australia during development and construction and 800 a year during the operational phase.
1.2.3. Pro: It is estimated that oil drilling could generate [billions](https://www.sbs.com.au/news/bight-oil-drilling-could-be-game-changer) in tax revenue.
1.2.4. Con: In the event of an oil spill, the Australian government would have to [subsidise](https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/apr/29/great-australian-bight-taxpayers-would-have-to-subsidise-oil-spill-clean-ups-chevron-says) the cost of cleaning the spill.
1.2.5. Con: Oil and gas exploration could harm tourism, which employs [10,000](https://www.timstorer.com.au/advocacy/drilling-in-the-great-australian-bight) people in the Bight region.
1.2.6. Con: Oil and gas exploration could be devastating to local fishing industry, which is estimated to be worth [$400 million](https://www.timstorer.com.au/advocacy/drilling-in-the-great-australian-bight).
1.2.7. Con: This is an [extremely risky investment](https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/nov/24/drilling-in-the-great-australian-bight-is-not-worth-the-risk) for Australia to be making. The extreme depths and uncertainties in oil reservoir characteristics involved make deep sea oil and gas exploration in the Great Australian Bight a high-risk project.
1.3. Pro: We do not need to exploit the oil and gas in the Great Australian Bight.
1.3.1. Pro: Australia's emissions are rising YoY. Australia is currently projected to miss its 2030 Paris Agreement targets. Oil from The Great Australian Bight will not reach full production until 2030 which will make meeting emissions targets more difficult. source: [environment.gov.au](http://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/resources/128ae060-ac07-4874-857e-dced2ca22347/files/australias-emissions-projections-2018.pdf)
1.3.1.1. Pro: By ensuring that Oil remains a widely accessible energy resource, there's less incentive to push for the establishment of greener alternatives that would allow Australia to make their 2030 Paris Agreement targets.
1.3.2. Pro: Humanity has 5x as much fossil fuels in known reserves as it needs to exceed 2 degrees global warming above pre-industrial temperatures. According to the Paris Agreement, temperature increases need to be kept well under that.[Paris Agreement Summary](http://www.climatefocus.com/sites/default/files/20151228%20COP%2021%20briefing%20FIN.pdf). Our challenge, therefore, is not to find more but to use 20% of what we already know is there.
1.3.3. Pro: The Australian government are investing [significantly](https://www.environment.gov.au/climate-change/publications/factsheet-actions-australia-is-taking) in renewable alternatives to fossil fuels.
1.3.3.1. Pro: Australia plans to [double](https://www.environment.gov.au/climate-change/publications/factsheet-actions-australia-is-taking) the amount of renewable energy it generates within the next 5 years.
1.3.3.1.1. Con: Coal and gas currently generate [85%](https://www.energy.gov.au/government-priorities/energy-supply) of Australia's power. Without these sources of power generation Australia would not be able to meet their power demands.
1.3.4. Con: -> See 1.1.6.
1.4. Con: Australia needs to improve its energy security. Reducing our reliance on importing refined products by discovering and developing domestic crude resources will achieve this.[Australia's oil production vs consumption](http://crudeoilpeak.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Australia_oil_production_vs_consumption_1965_2014.jpg)
1.5. Pro: Inadequate community consultation was conducted by the Australian Government before these exploration leases were issued in the Bight.
1.5.1. Pro: The decision to issue new oil and gas exploration permits in the Great Australian Bight was driven by the Federal Resources Minister Martin Ferguson hoping to boost Australia's output of oil and gas. The only bidder was BP, and they were accepted even though the Deep Horizon blowout had occurred only months earlier. Such decisions should at least require a minister sponsored motion in parliament. [BP the only bidder for Great Australian Bight leases](https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/bp-only-bidder-for-oil-rights-in-the-great-australian-bight/news-story/1fb139aca24b4e88f5e18ce1e8755a71)
1.5.2. Pro: Bight oil exploration was a [key issue of concern](https://indaily.com.au/opinion/2019/06/19/time-for-sa-mps-to-back-bight-oil-drilling-ban/) in the federal elections, raised by the South Australians, environmentalists, and general population.
1.5.3. Pro: Polling showed that [60%](https://www.offshore-technology.com/features/bedlam-in-the-bight-what-will-australias-new-government-mean-for-offshore-oil/)of Australians oppose this project.
1.6. Con: We need oil and gas to keep the lights on and the wheels of industry turning;- but not in my backyard, eh? I understand that the location of this proposed exploration is of particular environmental importance and would cause great, and arguably unnecessary damage to the ecosystem.
1.6.1. Con: My backyard would be preferable, actually. The main problem with exploration in the Great Australian Bight is that this new oil precinct is in no one’s and backyard. Protecting the planet’s wilderness from unsustainable industrial expansion should be priority number 1. No point having the lights on if our planet’s biosphere has been destabilised.
1.7. Con: Assuming that oil exploration and production will continue in order to meet global demand, it is better that this activity is conducted by reputable companies with good safety records, and that the countries in which the drilling occurs have robust regulatory frameworks and environmental laws. The alternative is higher risk operations with little or no government oversight.
1.7.1. Con: Allowing oil companies with good safety records to drill in countries with robust regulatory frameworks won't prevent companies with poor safety records from drilling in countries lacking strong regulatory frameworks.